The Apple Watch is now an excellent jogging companion. It is the smartwatch with run tracking that sticks out for all the right reasons. And it has a lot of apple watch apps for running that you can use.
With the Series 7, Apple has followed the same approach as with the Series 6, giving a smartwatch with incredible GPS and heart rate performance based on our tests.
If you want to log your runs, you’ll probably start with Apple’s Workout app. If you find that app no longer meets your needs, there are thankfully plenty of other Apple Watch running apps in the Apple App Store that will.
We tested many of them on the Apple Watch Series 7, Watch SE, Series 3, and other earlier Apple Watch models. These are the applications that have made an impression for the right reasons.
Here are the best apple watch apps for running
- Strava
- Adidas Running App
- Runkeeper
- Nike Run Club
- C25K 5K Trainer
- Map My Run
1. Strava
If you’re a runner, you’ve most likely heard of Strava. If you haven’t, you undoubtedly know a few folks who won’t go on a long Sunday run without checking in on the popular app.
The good news is that there is a Strava Apple Watch app, and it has matured into one of the excellent alternatives to consider having packed onto your wristwatch since its release.
It also works without an iPhone, allowing you to see real-time data directly from the Watch screen. We’ve discovered that when you bring your iPhone with you, the Strava app is more accurate than Apple’s native Workout app.
It will allow you to track both outdoor and indoor runs, providing standard running numbers, and will utilize Apple’s heart rate sensor to tell you how hard you’re working. You’ll also receive auditory prompts to hear updates on your speed and distance.
If you’re prepared to pay for a Strava membership, you may utilize the training programs and routines to spice up your running sessions. Strava has subsequently permitted users to transfer sessions from the Workout app – but these must be explicitly linked, so we’ll stay with the Strava standalone app for the time being. Definitely, one of the best and most popular apple watch apps for running.
2. Adidas Running App
You may be aware of the term Runtastic, which was the original title of this software until Adidas decided to add their weight and experience into the mix.
You can monitor all of your runs with the Adidas Running App on your Apple Watch and use the data to motivate you as you strive for a faster time. There are some best elements, such as Live Tracking, which allows others to keep track of your whereabouts.
While running, you may get optional speech updates, and your Apple Watch screen can display information such as your heart rate, speed, distance travelled, and more. You may manage music playing from inside the app to help keep you amused.
Adidas Running App’s free edition is ad-supported, although this may avoid by subscribing to the Pro version. Overall, it’s a good all-around running program that will serve you well regardless of your skill level.
3. Runkeeper
Runkeeper can internally construct a map using the watch GPS, which aids in monitoring your position and progress and, after a period of “education,” eliminates the need for you to run with your iPhone entirely.
The program also has some excellent customization tools — the run screen displays the elapsed time at the top, current pace, average pace, average heart rate, and a bunch of other stats in whatever order you choose. The option to personalize the run screen is a fantastic feature that we wish more fitness apps had, and it’s excellent for runners who know what they want to concentrate on.
Run data is synced to the Runkeeper website and the Apple Activity app. The iOS Runkeeper app displays your splits, pace chart, heart rate chart, and stride rate chart, capturing more data than the website.
4. Nike Run Club
Nike Run Club is a huge success on the Apple platform, thanks in part to Nike’s strong collaboration with Apple to provide customized watches, straps, and a more sophisticated level of software than Apple provides with the Workout app.
Nike’s Apple Watch software serves its job well enough, but it might have additional bells and whistles to assist runners as they run. Having said that, the Watch app has some great motivating elements and voice-guided training programs for either the watch or phone.
The app also provides some solid post-workout numbers, which are sufficient for most runners who want more than a quick peeks at what they have just accomplished.
Nike excels in non-standard features, such as the ability to display components of your training progress as complications on your watch faces and widgets on your iOS displays. These are cool features that allow you to combine your running progress with other indicators and information on your favourite screens.
5. C25K 5K Trainer
It is an Apple Watch running software designed to bring first-timers up to speed and able to run for five kilometres.
The app’s popularity is due to its mild, but not too kind, nature. You should be able to complete a 5K in eight weeks with only three exercises each week. The training regimen includes both walking and running to help you gain stamina and gradually work your way up to your final objective. The program should work if you commit to 30 minutes every day.
The free edition of the app has a restriction of 5K, but if you want to go farther, you may purchase a Zen Unlimited Pass as an in-app purchase. It not only grants you access to more applications, but also more training plans such as 10K, half marathon, and full marathon.
There’s also a Pro version with added features like calorie counting and distance monitoring. While not required for the standard 5K training plan, if you want to take your running to the next level, they may be enough to get you to upgrade.
6. Map My Run
Map my run is a runner app produced by Under Armour, Inc that includes over 600 in-app activities. Map my Run, which includes auditory feedback, enabling you to push yourself to burn off those pesky calories.
Other features include a vast collection of predetermined routes near you to explore, and the ability to connect with Apple Health. The Map My Run Apple Watha app includes a MyFitnessPal feature for tracking your daily calorie consumption.
Map My Run also has an activity feed where you can share your runs and challenges with friends. There’s also a premium MVP membership that removes the ads and unlocks a slew of other features like the live location.
The live location tool maintains track of your current position and delivers it to whomever you select. The premium membership costs $5.99 per month or $29.99 per year. Map My Run presently has a 4.8 rating in the app store, with over 294k reviews. The software is around 280 MB in size.
Final Thoughts on the apple watch apps for running
Because every runner’s preference varies, it might be complex to find a single software that covers all bases. However, we hope that our brief overview provided you with a fair sense of which app would be ideal for you! We use the Nike+ Run Club and appreciate how Spotify is seamlessly integrated and how rapidly new material is loaded.
On the other hand, my running mates swear on Strava and thrive on the community. So, we hope we’ve pointed you in the right direction, so take your pick at your favourite apple watch apps for running and use your smartwatch to get fit.
